```html Melaka-Kuala Lumpur Solo Trip: 6 Days of Malaysian Adventure!
Melaka-Kuala Lumpur Solo Trip: 6 Days of Malaysian Adventure!
Hey everyone! Get ready for a slightly lengthy but super detailed review of my first-ever solo trip to Malaysia (ML)! Buckle up as I share my itinerary and some insights. This is my first time writing a travel review, so bear with me!
(Originally planned with a friend, but ended up going solo!)
Pre-Trip Essentials & Border Crossing:
- MDAC Visa Declaration: If you already have a SIM card, look for big QR codes in the immigration area to scan and complete the declaration. If not, fill it out in your home country and save it. Trust me, it's worth it!
- Immigration: I was only asked about my return date, length of stay, and hotel name. They stamped my passport and let me through without asking for any other documents (I declared my visa in my home country). But, I saw a fellow traveler from my country get held up because she hadn't completed the MDAC and couldn't answer the immigration officer's questions. I even had to translate to help. So, complete your MDAC for a smooth and happy trip. (Also, maybe my outfit helped me breeze through – check out the photos!)
The Nitty-Gritty Details:
- Round-Trip Flight: $3,635K (Booked just 11 days before, so the price was a bit steep).
- Air Asia (with extra baggage, total 14kg carry-on).
- Scoot (10kg carry-on) with a layover in Singapore – wanted to experience the Sing airport!
- Travel Insurance: 168k (Liberty Classic Package).
Totally worth it for peace of mind when traveling abroad. Better safe than sorry, and the cost is minimal compared to potential medical expenses.
- Currency Exchange: 1000 MYR (exchange rate 5.5) + $100 USD.
- SIM Card: 6-day SIM from Shopee, works in Singapore-Malaysia-Indonesia, stable connection: 129K (1GB/day).
Hotel Havens:
- Melaka (2 nights): TheBlanc Boutique (1.790K) – Right at the start of Jonker Walk, super convenient for exploring!
- KL (3 nights): Santa Grand Hotel (2.425K) – Chinatown area, next to Central Market, close to 2 train stations. The room was okay but small. After staying there, I wouldn't recommend Chinatown. Lots of homeless people everywhere, not a safe feeling. Mid Valley or Bukit Bintang would be better choices.
Getting Around:
- Transportation Total: ~730K (Bus/MRT/Grab).
Mostly used the train (buy tickets at each station, keep small change handy). Grab for places not accessible by train.
- Airport to Melaka Bus: The ticket counter staff was slow, and they weren't selling tickets to Melaka. Had to use the automated kiosk and pay with a Visa card.
- Melaka to KL Bus: Many counters, but only 1 or 2 were open, making the lines super long. Almost missed my 11:45 AM bus even though I arrived before 11:00 AM (got too confident!).
- KL Sentral to Airport Bus: Booked via Redbus to avoid lines.
- Pro-Tip: I recommend using Redbus to book and pay for tickets in advance. It requires a Malaysian phone number to book.
Day-by-Day Breakdown:
Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City (HCM) - Kuala Lumpur (KL) - Melaka
- HCM -> KLIA2: ~2-hour flight.
- KLIA2 -> Melaka: ~3-hour bus ride.
- First Meal: Calanthe Art Cafe (recommended by the hotel receptionist, around 20 MYR for laksa + drink). Food was good, but HUGE portions. Could only finish 1/3 of it.
- Jonker Walk Night Market (Only open Fri, Sat, Sun): Food and souvenirs, but not very diverse in my opinion.
Day 2: Melaka - Red Square
- Morning: Coffee by the river at GravyBaby (a bit pricey, but the chill view makes up for it).
- Lunch: Instant noodles, mixed rice paper salad + sugarcane juice. Couldn't really eat Malay food as it didn't suit my palate. (Near the riverside. Look for "Tú Ann Việt Nam Cafe" on Google Maps. The owner is super sweet and sells Vietnamese dishes if you're craving something familiar).
- Dinner: The owner of Tú Ann, knowing I was traveling solo, had her family take me to a Chinese restaurant (Restaurant L.T.P Sdn. Bhd). Everything was delicious, but since I was a guest, I don't know the prices.
- Sightseeing:
- Red Church, Red Square - Free
- Church of Saint Paul - Free
- A Famosa Fortress - Free
- Cheng Hoon Teng Temple (Chinese Temple) - Free
- Masjid Selat Melaka (Melaka Straits Mosque - Dress Code required) - 5 MYR for entrance. They provide hijabs for women.
- Evening: Melaka River Cruise (super beautiful at night with the lights) - 30 MYR
Day 3: Melaka - KL - Petaling Street
- Morning: Grab from Melaka old town to the bus station (15 mins). Arrive an hour early to avoid stress.
- Remember to book your bus ticket in advance. Counter staff is slow and only a few are open. Behind the ticket counter is an automated kiosk that accepts international cards, enter your info and you're good to go.
- Bus Melaka -> KL: Around 14 MYR.
- Afternoon: Arrived in KL around 3 PM, took the train to the hotel, wandered around Petaling Street. Then slept the entire rest of the day.
Day 4: Batu Caves - Thean Hou Temple - Bukit Bintang
- Morning: Take the train to KL Sentral, then buy a ticket to Batu Caves (2.6 MYR one way). Trains were every 15 mins, journey took about 30-45 minutes.
- Afternoon: Buy a ticket from Batu Caves to MidValley station (3 MYR). Lunch at MidValley Megamall (tons of choices if you're not into Malay food). Grab to Thean Hou Temple (close from MidValley station). Visited the nearby Sirimaha Mariamman Temple.
- Evening: From my hotel (near Masjid Jamek and Pasar Seni stations), it was easy to get to Bukit Bintang (2~3 MYR). Photos, explore, dinner at Pavilion.
Day 5: Merdeka Square - Petronas Twin Towers - KLCC - REXKL - Kwai Chai Hong - Jalan Alor Night Market
- Morning:
- Walked to River of Life, then to Merdeka Square. Walk across the street to get the best shots of the square.
- Train from Masjid Jamek -> KLCC. Lunch at Suria KLCC. Great shoe selection. For Twin Towers photos, the park offers the best overall view, while the front provides a closer, gigantic perspective.
- Afternoon:
- Walk to REXKL (Not super exciting, but the book library is photo-worthy, a good spot for cafe-hopping).
- Walk to Kwai Chai Hong (Very crowded). The ice cream shop ChingChing (yellow and green) next to the alley is a MUST-TRY!).
- Evening: Planned to eat at Jalan Alor Night Market, but it was overcrowded, so I wandered around and ate dinner at the FoodCourt in Lot10 Mall, Bukit Bintang.
Day 6: KL - Singapore (SIN) - HCM
Didn't get enough sleep, so I just stayed in the Singapore airport and waited for my flight back to HCM.
Grand Total: 10 Million VND
All photos were taken by myself with a selfie stick (Day 5, I made a friend who helped with photos).
THANK YOU for reading my review! I hope it helps you plan your trip!
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